The Tuvalu Fisheries Department, in association with the Funafuti Kaupule (Island Council), Falekaupule (Elders), Fishermen in Funafuti Association (FOFA) and the community is developing a comprehensive plan for the management of stressed fishery resources on Funafuti Atoll. The plan is expected to optimise our use and benefits from fisheries.The Funafuti Reef Fisheries Stewardship Plan (FRFSP)…

Egg-laying chicken breeds all come with stories on the number of eggs the hens will lay in a year – but how well does that reflect reality? Especially on an atoll. In this article, we are going to find out what you can expect from your backyard chickens.The Six Chicks Project started back in late…

Chick production has now started and the first few chicks are hatched and getting used to their surroundings. We have 4 incubators on the go and expect to be producing as many chicks as we can each month. For those receiving the chicks, now is the time to get your brooding box ready.Chicks are curious…

In late December last year we announced that we had successfully managed to bring heritage egg-laying chickens to Tuvalu as part of our Six Chix Project. Well, as hoped all 18 chicks grew up and although we lost one young roo just as he matured, all the rest are alive and well. We managed to…

After trying for a year we have finally cracked it ! We now have heritage chicken breeds in Tuvalu ! Tuvalu has lots of chickens, but most of them are ‘local’ bantam-sized mixed birds of uncertain heritage. They are probably a mix of the original chickens brought to the islands, plus odd injections of project…

The Solar Space Creation Project in Tuvalu is one of 6 major projects that are changing the face of power generation and supply in Tuvalu in a very short time. The plan is to make the Funafuti electricity grid, and those of several outer islands, run on 100% renewable energy by 2020. Doing this will…

Tuvalu is about to test the resilience of its islands in a way that has never been seen before. In the next year or two there will be 4 new projects that will in one way or another alter the natural flows of sand and water that are part of the island’s natural defence and…

Summary Coral Monitoring: Start date 21st April 2015; Duration: 20 weeks Dredging: Start date 29th April 2015; Duration: 19 weeks The dials are status on 25th September 2015 with an average of 22.5 bleaching at Impact sites (24% on 8/9/15) and 17% bleaching (16% on 8/9/15) at Control sites Dredging Locations: Dredge worked off Fogafale…

The Six Chix Project is now starting to produce some outcomes and increasing interest in Funafuti. In this post we are going to take a quick look at the statistics so far. We currently have 7 Hyline Brown hens producing our eggs, plus an assortment of other chickens. Its the Hyline hens we are focusing…

For the first time in history the Tuvaluan people now have the capability to be able to make large-scale changes to their atolls and islands. With that capability comes a lot of potential for building resilience, but also the potential for serious damage. How it works out depends on the choices we make and how…

If something is ‘just chicken feed’ its considered loose change, cheap, no big deal… Well, on an atoll, chicken feed is a big deal. In fact food in general is a big deal. It is hard to grow, hard to import and easily damaged by the climate.The biggest problem facing a would-be chicken keeper on…

1 Background 1.1 The Project The Tuvalu Borrow Pits Remediation Project (TBPRP) is now refilling borrow pits that were created on Funafuti (on the islets of Fogafale and Tegako) during World War II for the purpose of constructing the airport runway. The project includes restoration of a breach in the islet of Tegako and other…

Sustainable methods of fishing are often touted for environmental benefits. But a new report finds they also yield more wealth than current techniques for communities that rely on them.The study, from researchers at the University of California Santa Barbara, the University of Washington, the Environmental Defense Fund and the Economist Intelligence Unit, finds that sustainable…

A landmark decision by the Kiwis sets a precedent that other countries should follow.New Zealand has just set a great example to the world by recognizing what animal lovers have known forever- that our furry [and feathered or scaled] friends are as sentient as we are, and (obviously, dur) they have feelings just like we…

(NaturalNews) Vitamin C is a well-known antioxidant and is commonly used to fight off a cold. Recent studies have cast a much brighter light on this underrated and extremely necessary vitamin. Researchers from the University of Kansas found that high doses of intravenously supplied vitamin C effectively eradicates cancer cells in human subjects. Additionally, healthy…

Tuvalu Atoll FormationIt all begins, at least from the human perspective, with Darwin’s 1842 theory on atoll formation. Charles Darwin was the first to hypothesise (put up the idea for investigation) that atolls formed on the top of submerged volcanoes. Darwin envisaged that as volcanic activity ceased and the volcano slowly submerged into the sea…